Tobacco-pipe.



'No. 722,343. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903-.

H. M. WILLIS.

TOBACCO PIPE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 10oz. nmvnwzn 001'. 24, 1902.

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'lINrrnD STATES HENRY M. WILLIS, OF EAST VVILLISTON, NEW YORK.

TOBACCO-PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 722,343, dated March10, 0

Application filed January 4. 1902. Renewed October 24, 1902. Serial No.128,666. (No model.)

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. WILLIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of East Williston in the county of Nassau, in the State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Pipes; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aface view of the bowl of a tobacco-pipe made according to my invention.Fig. 2 is a face view of one of the parts included in a pipe madeaccording to my invention. Fig. 3 is a face view of the pipe with thepart shown separately in Fig. 2 in place in the part shown separately inFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the saidpipe. Fig. 5 is a detached top view of the device shown in face view, inFig. 2.

This invention relates to that class of tobacco-pipes in which aremovable cleaning device is extended through the base of the bowl andinto the part of the stem adjacent thereto.

The object of my invention is to provide for a more effective andconvenient operation of the cleaning device than'has hitherto obtainedin pipes of the general character above indicated, also to insure a moresmooth and symmetrical contour to the bowl than has usually been foundconsistent with the presence of a cleaning device in relation justindicated, and also to prevent the hygroscopic character of thematerials of which pipe-bowls are commonly made from causing the borethrough which the cleaning device is passed from binding upon thedevice, and thereby preventing its satisfactory operation.

With these ends in view my invention comprises certain new and usefulcombinations of parts hereinafter fully described and particnlarized.

A is the bowl of a tobacco-pipe. Except as hereinafter specified thisbowl may be of any ordinary or desired configuration and of any suitablematerial. Ordinarily such bowls are made of some variety of wood and onetherefore more or less liable to shrink and swell according to theproportions of moisture to which they are subjected, and to meet thedemands of trade or the preferences of purchasers the bowls employed inpipes made according to my invention will in the nature of things be toa greater or less extent of such materials.

B is the enlarged portion of the pipe-stem, made ordinarily integralwith the bowl A and consequently of the same material.

C is the mouthpiece or smaller portion of the pipe-stem, the passage atthrough which is usually of much less diameter than the bore b of thepart B. This bore 1) communicates at its inner end with the passage orof the part 0 of the pipe-stem and at its forward or outer end opens atthe front of the bore, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4; This bore communicateswith the interior of the bowl by means of an orifice c, as shown in Fig.4.. In the face of the bowl around the forward end or opening of thebore 6 is a cavity 6, one side or lateral portion of which, as from ftog, is of a slopingorinclined configuration in other words, of suchconformation as to oppose an arm, hereinafter fully described, in suchmanner that an axial movement of said arm results in a cam action tostart the cleaning device, herein presently shown,from its place, ashereinafter fully appears. The cavity 6 is at one of its edges elongatedor extended, as shown at 1'. One side of this notch or extension dot thecavity may be sloped, as from h to f, to form part of the cam-actionsurface of the cavity.

D is a plug (shown more fully in Figs. 4 and 5 and in dotted outline inFig. 2) which fits snugly but removably in the outer portion of the bore1), into which it is longitudinally thrust. This plug D has at its innerend a semicylindric scoop E, which normally occu pics the remaininglength of the bore. The inner end on of this scoop is for the most partclosed; but the interior of the scoop communicates with the passage toof the pipe-stem by grooves or openings at and at its forward end withthe orifice c in the bottom of the bowl by a similar groove or openingp, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 4. Upon the forward or outer end ofthe plug D is fast an arm or cam F, the rear surface of whichcorresponds in relief with the intaglio of the cavity 6 and the outer orforward end of which when the said arm or cam is normally surface of thebowl.

in position is flush with the adjacent outer This cam has a spur orprojection s, which fits into the extension 11 of the cavity and whichshould at its outer surface be flush with the surface of the bore. Asufficient space tshould be left at one edge of this spur to permit theinsertion of any suitable instrumentalityas, for example, the thumbnailto turn the spur, and consequently the cam, (and with them the plugand the scoop,) in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, therebybringing the cam more or less to the position shown in dotted outlinesin said figure. The conformations of the surfaces of the cavity and thecam, respectively, are such that when the cam is turned as justmentioned it not only gives an axial move ment to the plug and thescoop, but also a longitudinal outward movement to the said plug andscoop, which starts them from their places in the bore of the pipe andcausesthe plug to project beyond the face of the bowl, so that it may befirmly manipulated to axially turn the scoop to scrape the surface ofthe bore and be readily withdrawn from the bore for purposes ofexamination, cleansing, &c. When the plug and scoop are in place, theproper communication between the bowl and the mouthpiece of the pipe isclear, and the pipe may be used in any ordinary manner, while thecontinuous or mutually-flush surfaces of the cam and the bowl preserveto the latter its symmetrical contour, unbroken and undisfigured byunsightly projections, at the same time that exceedingly convenientmeans are provided for actuating the cam to give a compound axial andlongitudinal movement to the scoop, which is very effective in promotingthe scraping action of the scoop upon the walls of the bore, but alsobrings the 4 scoop into a position in which it may be even morevigorously operated by a grasp of the fingers upon the cam, which insuch case serves as a handle. As impurities from the smoke are depositedeither within the spoonlike interior of the scoop or upon the walls ofthe bore, from which they are scraped by the edges of the scoop duringthe described movements of the scoop, it follows that most efficientmeans are thus provided for the cleaning of the pipe when desired, aswell as for the arrest of impurities from the smoke between the base ofthe bowl and the forward end of the mouthpiece of the pipe.

As hereinafter explained,,the bowl for commercial reasons or purchaserspreferences will ordinarily be made of wood or like material possessedof more or less hygroscopic properties. I have found that the swellingof the material from access of moisture causes a diminution in thediameter of the bore 19, which frequently causes the walls of the boreto bind upon the plug, and thereby greatly impede the requisite movementof the plug and of the scoop hereinbefore set forth. On the other hand,the shrinking of the material by diminution of moisture by enlarging thebore is liable to render the plug too loose therein. To remedy thesedefects, I make the bore of sufficient size to receive a cylindric braceG, which is preferably of metal and in any event of a non-hygroscopiccharacter. The internal diameter of this brace is of course such as toproperly accommodate the plug which is placed therein and the scoopwhich passes therethrough. The brace G should be so snugly forced intoits position in the bore that it will at all times bear strongly againstthe walls thereof and by resisting their inward thrust maintain theintegrity and uniformity of its own internal diameter, and consequentlya uniform seat or bearing for the plug.

It will be observed that by reason of the cylindric bearing of the plugin its seat and of the nearly-closed circular inner endof the scoop atthe inner end of the bore a very firm and stable support is afforded tothe removable plug and its adjuncts when the same are normally inposition, as set forth.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a tobacco-pipe, the combinationwith a bowl which has a cylindric bore coincident with the tube orpassage of the pipe-stem and an external cavity which communicates withsaid bore, of a removable plug arranged to turn in said bore, providedat its outer end with a cam which lies in the cavity and works against asurface thereof when turned for the operation of the plug, and asemicylindric scraping-scoop on the inner end of the plug and movabletherewith, as described.

2. In a tobacco-pipe, the combination with a bowl which has a cylindricbore coincident with the tube or passage of the pipe-stem and anexternal cavity which communicates with said bore, of a removable plugwhich is arranged to turn in said bore and which has at its outer end acam-like arm arranged to lie in said cavity with its outer surface flushwith the adjacent surface of the bowl and to act against a surface ofthe cavity when the plug is turned to start the latter from the bore,and a semicylindric scraping-scoop on the inner end of the plug andmovable therewith, as described.

3. In a tobacco-pipe, the combination with a bowl which has a cylindricbore coincident with the tube or passage of the pipe-stem and anexternal cavity which communicates with said bore and has a more or lesscurved surface at one of its sides, of a plug arranged to turn in saidbore which has a semicylindric scraping-scoop on its inner end and atits outer end a cam-like arm which is arranged to cooperate with thecurved surface of the cavity to start the plug from the bore and isprovided with a lip or projection whereby the cam may be readilyactuated to start the plug from the bore, as described.

4. In a tobacco-pipe the combination with a bowl composed of more orless hygroscopic material which has a cylindric bore coincident with thetube or passage of the pipestem and an external cavity which communicates with said bore, a plug arranged to turn in said bore, asemicylindric scraping-scoop on the inner end of said plug, and an armat the outer end of said plug arranged to lie in said cavity, of anon-hygroscopic cylindric brace inserted in the said bore to restrainthe swelling of the material of the bowl upon the plug and therebyprevent the binding of the plug in the bore, as described.

5. In a tobacco-pipe the combination with a bowl composed of more orless hygroscopic material and which has a cylindric bore coincident withthe tube or passage of the pipestem and an external cavity whichcommunicates with said bore, of a cylindrical nonhygroscopic braceplaced in said bore to maintain a uniform diameter therein, a plugaxially and longitudinally movable within said brace, of a semicylindricscraping-scoop on the inner end of the plug, a cam device on the outerend of said plug and arranged to lie in the cavity with its surfaceflush with the surface of the bowl, and a lip or projection on the camdevice arranged to lie in a suitablyprovided angular extension of thecavity, as described.

6. In a tobacco-pipe the combination with a bowl which has a oylindricbore coincident with the tube or passage of the pipe-stem and anexternal cavity which communicates with said bore, a removable plug,which is arranged to turn in said bore, which has at its outer end anarm which normally rests in said cavity, which has a semicylindricscraping scoop, which for the most part is closed at its inner end, andwhich at its outer end communicates by a longitudinal groove in the plugwith an openin'g'in the bottom of the bowl, as described.

7. In a tobacco-pipe the combination with a bowl which has a cylindricbore coincident with the tube or passage of the pipe-stem and anexternal cam-shaped cavity which communicates with said bore, of aremovable plug which is arranged to turn in said bore, which has in itsouter end a cam-like arm that normally rests in said cavity with itsouter surface flush with the adjacent outer surface of the bowl, andwhich has a semicylindric scraping-scoop which at its outer endcommunicates through a groove in the plug with an opening in the bottomof the bowl, and at its inner end with the tube of the pipe-stem througha groove in the otherwise closed end of the scoop, as described.

HENRY M. WILLIS. WVitnesses:

JAMES A. WHITNEY, A. D. MOORE.

